Edge Effect on the Current-Temperature Characteristic of Finite-Area Thermionic Cathodes

Anna Sitek, Kristinn Torfason, Andrei Manolescu, and Ágúst Valfells
Phys. Rev. Applied 16, 034043 – Published 24 September 2021

Abstract

We perform a computational study, based on the molecular-dynamics method, of the shape of Miram curves obtained from microscale planar diodes. We discuss the smooth transition from the source-limited regime to the space-charge-limited regime due to the finite size of the emitter (i.e., the “knee” in the Miram curve). In our model we find that the smoothing occurs mostly due to the increased emission at the external edges of the emitting area, and that the knee becomes softer when the size of the emitting area decreases. We relate this to recent work that has described how a heterogeneous work function similarly affects the Miram curve.

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  • Received 24 June 2021
  • Revised 10 September 2021
  • Accepted 13 September 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.16.034043

© 2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & OpticalAccelerators & Beams

Authors & Affiliations

Anna Sitek1,2,*, Kristinn Torfason1, Andrei Manolescu1, and Ágúst Valfells1

  • 1Department of Engineering, Reykjavik University, Menntavegur 1, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
  • 2Department of Theoretical Physics, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland

  • *anna.sitek@pwr.edu.pl

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Vol. 16, Iss. 3 — September 2021

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